Christina Fay was convicted of 10 counts of animal cruelty, but her legal team says it will appeal. Fay, 59, is scheduled to be sentenced in 3rd Circuit Court within 30 days. Each charge is a Class A...

Manchester school district shows off new logo, slogan

MANCHESTER — The school district has unveiled its new logo and slogan: “All Hands Up!”

The logo is the work of senior Design Communication students at the Manchester School of Technology. The design was the winner of a student competition for a new logo that began in the fall.

The logo features a cluster of arms of different sizes and hues reaching up with out stretched fingers, above the letters “MSD” and the slogan.

The logo is already featured on the district’s website, mansd.org., and it also acknowledges the tuition towns, with which the district has had a rocky relationship over the past year. “Serving the communities of Manchester, Hooksett and Candia,” it says below the logo.

The next runner-up for the logo contest, which was decided by a public poll in January, was more traditional: a Millyard clock tower with the slogan “Teaching the Future Leaders.”

The contest had drawn criticism from some school board members who faulted the administration for not involving them at an early stage.

The “all hands” design was meant to be evocative, according to a press release from the district.

“Maybe it’s ‘I have the answer’ or ‘I’m reaching my aspirations,’” Brady Kingsbury, 18, said in the release. “The hands also could be a demonstration of participation or pride. The interpretation of ‘All Hands Up!’ is in the eye of the beholder, and that was our intention.”

Superintendent Debra Livingston said the logo imparted a message of inclusiveness and community. “The design truly embodies the Manchester School District’s mission to inspire and empower all learners,” she said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to sharing it with our schools, as well as community leaders and businesses as the symbol of what we’re about.”

The district has also announced a series of videos aimed at preparing students and parents for kindergarten. The videos, called “Ready, Set… Kindergarten!” will be posted on the district website, mansd.org, and on the websites of the elementary schools.

The series was produced by Manchester Public Television and narrated by district kindergarten teachers.

The videos cover academic subjects, such as reading and writing, as well as themes around fine motor skills, social behavior and independence, according to a district press release.

“Every child coming to school should feel comfortable and already possess certain skills to ease the transition to a new classroom,” Superintendent Debra Livingston said in a statement. “It’s especially important for parents and children to know what to expect if they haven’t been in an educational environment before kindergarten.”